Skyr

Skyr is a traditional Icelandic cultured dairy product with the consistency of strained yogurt but a milder, slightly sour flavor with a hint of residual sweetness, classified as a fresh sour milk cheese though eaten like yogurt, traditionally served chilled and sometimes with cream. It has ancient roots referenced in medieval Icelandic texts such as Egil's Saga and Grettis Saga, and was originally made from sheep's milk though modern versions mostly use cow's milk; its name is related to the English word shear, describing how the milk separates into liquid whey and thick skyr. Modern production heats skimmed milk to 72 to 75 degrees Celsius for 15 to 20 seconds, cools it to 37 degrees, adds a starter culture of Streptococcus thermophilus and Lactobacillus delbrueckii subsp. bulgaricus along with rennet, ferments the mixture for five hours, then cools and strains it through fabric to remove the whey. Unflavored skyr is notably high in protein, about 13 grams per 100 grams, with only about 4 grams of carbohydrate and 0.2 grams of fat.